Burn the Bridges
by Falkrem
Summary: They only think they're partners in crime. Mikiryu, AU. Constructive criticism is welcome.


A/N: Please don't be mad at me for not updating September Rain yet. I've just started school again so I'm going to be very busy. I apologize to all of my readers. m(_ _)m

* * *

He stood at the table before the dealer, head bowed down, casually gripping the rosewood edge. The corner of his mouth curved into a small smirk–the smile of mischief and mayhem. Donning a slate gray fedora, he lifted his head up slightly to reveal striking blue eyes. With a pinstripe vest, crisp dress shirt, and dark slacks to complement his captivating face, this blue-haired man was the epitome of mystery and seduction. Spellbound women crowded around him, eager to see his next winning hand.

Behind the mob stood a lone woman with short, dark hair. Her red dress cascaded to barely above her knees, translucent ruffles at the end, a matching flower adorning her hair. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands in irritation as the man paid more attention to the other women than to the game in front of him.

Not that she was ___jealous_, or anything.

But he was wasting time.

The dark-haired woman shoved through the overbearing crowd and placed a firm hand on his shoulder, bringing him down until she could whisper into his ear.

"Aikurou, how long are you going to clown around?"

His smirk grew, and he placed his lips close to her ear, warm breath against her skin.

"What's the point in playing a game if you can't have ___fun_, Ryuuko?"

Ryuuko huffed to herself, his proximity causing her cheeks to flush. ___It's just the heat of the casino_, she told herself, and backed away from the blue-haired man, allowing the other women to surround him once more. She wasn't going to wait for her ___associate_ just because he wanted to savor the moment. After all, their previous 'winnings' were securely stashed away in their hotel room–she could take her leave and earnings at any time, and the man would be just as dumbfounded as the rest of security.

___What was forcing her to stay?_

It wasn't as if she felt anything for the man. He was rambunctious, infuriating, and most of all–extremely conceited. But she wouldn't have been there without his help. Did she feel indebted to him? ___No_, she thought, ___he's just an idiot. I feel like he's a child, and I'm his guardian._

There was a part of her that pulled her toward him, knowing he had a gift for drawing in riches. And that was all that mattered: money, money, and more money.

Her hand lingered at the barely visible pistol strapped to her thigh, itching to wrap her fingers around its grip. ___If this game persisted–_

Suddenly, the crowd cheered, a triumphant Aikurou sweeping in several stacks of chips. Rolling her eyes, the dark-haired woman walked over to him, her body close to his, slipping a hand into the pocket of his pants to push down the ace that was beginning to crawl its way up. She was grateful the mob they were in consisted of unintelligible fools and flops. Including the blue-haired man. He turned his head slightly toward her, an amused smile on his face.

"I think it's about time we cashed in," she murmured into his ear.

"Playtime's over, angel?"

She gave him a disgusted look. The woman abhorred his pet names for her.

"You remember that guy from yesterday, right?" Ryuuko began, her eyes darting toward a large man in a dark suit. The mob of women had dispersed, sensing an antagonist, allowing the two some space. Aikurou's eyes followed her gaze. The other man's obnoxious laughter filled the air. "He looks like he wants to settle something with you."

A more serious expression appeared on Aikurou's face, his characteristic smirk disappearing, the victory in his eyes, gone. "Twenty grand," he brusquely stated in a low voice, "that's all we managed today."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you insane? That's ___everything_? Including roulette and craps?" She couldn't believe her ears. The blue-haired man had spent the entire day moving from table to table, game to game, and ___twenty grand_ was all they had? Ryuuko had expected more, even with Aikurou's dallying. While the man didn't take most things seriously, when it came to gambling, he played to win.

The woman was certain he was hiding something from her.

"Thinking of swindling some extra money?" she hissed, Aikurou giving her a pleasant smile.

"I wouldn't ___dream_ of stealing from ___you_, dear."

She glared at him, her patience running thin. "Words mean nothing," the woman finally told him, ready to make a break for the hotel. Whether Aikurou chose to cash in or dawdle even more, she was going to collect her money before security caught on to them.

Just as she turned to leave, he whipped her around by the arm and gripped her chin. Roughly, he pressed his lips against hers, the woman's heart palpitating rapidly, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Actions speak louder than words," he remarked as he pulled away, amusement in his eyes–as if he had thought of the most hilarious joke in the entire world. Ryuuko scowled at him, wiping away the memory of the kiss from her lips with the back of her hand. Her cheeks burned fiercely. Without another word, the woman turned on her heel and briskly made her way down the stairs leading out of the casino.

He watched her go, a smirk spreading across his lips.

* * *

"I told you to keep an eye on that man in the red shirt!"

She threw a glare in the blue-haired man's direction, but he was too busy ducking his head from the bullets zipping past them. Two aluminum briefcases were grasped tightly in Aikurou's hands; Ryuuko's left hand clutched a dark duffel bag while her right held her beloved pistol. The woman was livid.

They were well on their way to the upper echelon of society–until Aikurou had given them away. He was too confident, too bold, and it cost them the game. Grabbing as much of their earnings as they could, they hurriedly sneaked out of the hotel through their bathroom vent and hightailed it away from the premises. Unfortunately, police officers were already waiting for them, and that was when the dark-haired woman had pulled out her pistol–alarming the officers.

"I'm not the one swinging around an Arcus!" he managed, following the woman into a nearby alley.

"We wouldn't be here if you hadn't been so stupid!"

"Stupid? You've got a gun!" He stared at her, bewildered and breathless as sirens wailed past. The flash of red and blue zoomed by, illuminating their worn bodies and the night sky for a millisecond.

Ryuuko gave him an ___I'm not afraid to use it_ look and walked further into the alley, stopping to lean back against a wall. Seeing that they were (temporarily) safe, Aikurou sighed in relief and slid his back down the wall opposing hers–until he found himself sitting on the grime-covered pavement. Breathing still ragged, a weak grin appeared on his face.

"You know, I kind of like us like this."

"Huh?" A strange look crossed the woman's face. ___What was he up to now?_

The man continued, his voice level and assured.

"A beautiful woman and a handsome man. We make quite the pair," he said, his grin widening at the disturbed look on her face.

"We are ___not_ a pair," she told him, hoping to make their relationship clear. He ignored her.

"We're the embodiment of perfection."

"Don't–just, don't talk, okay?" She pinched the bridge of her nose, irked. "Stop making noises come out of your mouth."

His next words aggravated her greatly.

"Make me."

___He really was a child._

She dropped the duffel bag where she stood, returning her pistol to its holster. The woman noticed he had stood up, a taunting smirk on his face. Ryuuko walked over to him and forcefully grabbed him by the collar of his disheveled dress shirt. She pushed him against the wall, her eyes locking with his. Her strength made up for her lack of height.

"Shut. The hell. Up." With each word, she brought her face closer to his, until their faces were inches apart. She could smell his sweet, sickening breath, could hear his calm, even breathing. His eyes bore into hers, and it was in that moment that she averted her eyes–instantly cursing herself for succumbing to his gaze. When her eyes darted back to his, she could see a spark of victory in them. Ryuuko tightened her grip on his collar.

As soon as she did so, Aikurou leaned forward and kissed her–softly, as if the air had brushed against her lips. She quickly released him, heart caught in her throat. The dark-haired woman took a step back, palms sweaty and eyes wide. It took her a moment to comprehend what had just happened.

"Wh-what was that for?!" Her flaming cheeks were obscured by the dimness of the alley.

"You didn't like my 'gift' to you, darling?"

She stood, speechless, rooted in place. Ryuuko turned her face away to hide its redness, her hand clasped over her mouth. While the kiss at the casino wasn't her first with the blue-haired man, there was something about ___this particular kiss_–

The sound of a dress shoe scraping across pavement attracted her attention. She cocked her pistol and pointed it at the blue-haired man, whose body was turned to exit the alley, hugging the briefcases to his chest. His back facing her, he let go of the briefcases and they ___thudded _to the ground, money unharmed. He raised his hands in surrender and slowly turned around to face the cross dark-haired woman and her weapon.

"Going to kill me so soon?"

"I figured it meant more money for me."

Without taking her eyes off of the blue-haired man, she reached for the dark duffel bag and dug around to fetch something–that ___something_ being hurled at the man the next second. He caught the pile of clothing in surprise.

"Take off your clothes," she commanded, her expression serious and unflinching.

He gave her a devilish grin.

"You don't need to tell me twice, love."


End file.
